[ He can't see it, but she practically beams from the encouragement. From someone else, she might've written it off as nothing but a pitiful attempt to make her feel good, but Levi doesn't seem like the atta-girl type.
When he says it's better for him to go alone, she just listens. Until he says he can't always protect others. Then she cuts in, beginning to protest. ]
But--
[ She thinks about it. In a way, what he's saying makes sense. She would be safer staying at the base, at least for now.
But Maddy knows firsthand how dangerous it is to depend on someone else for anything, because she's put herself in that situation before. In her home world, it had been money and a certain lifestyle. Here, it's physical protection and her basic needs. And there are benefits to relying on others... but also significant drawbacks. ]
It might be risky for me not to know how to take care of myself, too. That one lady, Miss Zam? I heard on the walkies that she just disappeared. What if Senku disappears? Or Randvi? Or K? Or you? What if everybody I'm relying on now just straight-up goes away, and I don't know how to take care of myself?
[ The likelihood of all of them vanishing at once seems, admittedly, extremely slim. And it's possible there was a reason for Zam's disappearance that none of them are aware of yet. But it's not completely impossible. If one person can disappear, why not four?
And anyway, if she learns how to protect herself, then he won't always have to protect her. A little risk now to save a lot of risk later. And people do come back here when they die, at least sometimes, although Maddy isn't sure if she could handle that, dying and coming back. She doesn't really like to think about it anyway.
Instead, she focuses on him telling her that he'll teach her a few tricks. ] ...Thanks. I appreciate it. I know this can't be easy on you.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2023-10-04 10:35 pm (UTC)When he says it's better for him to go alone, she just listens. Until he says he can't always protect others. Then she cuts in, beginning to protest. ]
But--
[ She thinks about it. In a way, what he's saying makes sense. She would be safer staying at the base, at least for now.
But Maddy knows firsthand how dangerous it is to depend on someone else for anything, because she's put herself in that situation before. In her home world, it had been money and a certain lifestyle. Here, it's physical protection and her basic needs. And there are benefits to relying on others... but also significant drawbacks. ]
It might be risky for me not to know how to take care of myself, too. That one lady, Miss Zam? I heard on the walkies that she just disappeared. What if Senku disappears? Or Randvi? Or K? Or you? What if everybody I'm relying on now just straight-up goes away, and I don't know how to take care of myself?
[ The likelihood of all of them vanishing at once seems, admittedly, extremely slim. And it's possible there was a reason for Zam's disappearance that none of them are aware of yet. But it's not completely impossible. If one person can disappear, why not four?
And anyway, if she learns how to protect herself, then he won't always have to protect her. A little risk now to save a lot of risk later. And people do come back here when they die, at least sometimes, although Maddy isn't sure if she could handle that, dying and coming back. She doesn't really like to think about it anyway.
Instead, she focuses on him telling her that he'll teach her a few tricks. ] ...Thanks. I appreciate it. I know this can't be easy on you.
It's hard. Caring about people. Like, it sucks.